Democracy

Framing ethical perspectives

Democracy is a form of government in which political control is given to the people, whether directly or through the election of governing officials. Currently, large numbers of people have lost faith in this form of government and some elected officials have been working to dismantle democratic institutions. Our programs, events, and experts strive to better understand this development.

Featured Democracy Resources

State of global democracy, U.S. global engagement, and more

JUN 9, 2021 Podcast

Illiberal Democracy on the Rise: Examining Brazil, Hungary, & India

APR 19, 2022 Podcast

Why Democracy vs. Autocracy Misses the Point, with Jean-Marie Guéhenno

Senior Fellow Anja Kapsersen is joined by Professor Jean-Marie Guéhenno for a conversation about virtual communities and the advent of the age of data.

FEB 23, 2024 Article

What Do We Mean When We Talk About "AI Democratization"?

With numerous parties calling for "AI democratization," Elizabeth Seger, director of the CASM digital policy research hub at Demos, discusses four meanings of the term.

Explore Our Democracy Resources

Rush to Happy Hour, by Mo Riza (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target=_blank>CC</a>).

FEB 2, 2007 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Commentary: Rush, Rush, Rush

Directly or indirectly, saving more time means spending more money, and spending more money means more time making it. Yet, from devastating the U.S. ...

DEC 19, 2006 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Innovations: The AccountAbility Story

AccountAbility's mission is to advance innovations in accountability in order to promote sustainable development. It strives to build the definitions and requirements for accountability and ...

Xinhua News Agency. Photo by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Xinhua_News_Agency.JPG" target=_blank>snowyowls</a>.

NOV 3, 2006 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Information Revolution Likely to Advance Free Speech in China

China’s government news agency Xinhua issued regulations in September that would make it the gatekeeper and revenue collector for reports from all news agencies ...

OCT 31, 2006 Podcast

Is Democracy Possible Here? Principles for a New Political Debate

If we want substantial political argument--and without it, true democracy is impossible--both "the red" and "the blue" must recognize shared moral principles, says Ronald Dworkin.

SEP 12, 2006 Podcast

The J Curve: A New Way To Understand Why Nations Rise and Fall

Ian Bremmer describes the political and economic forces that revitalize some states and push others toward collapse.

The J Curve

SEP 7, 2006 Article

REVIEW: The J Curve

National trade deficits usually get worse before they get better.This pattern resembles a "J" on graphs and so economists call it the J curve. ...

Internet cafe with Linux-style penguin in Khotan, an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Photo by Colegota, 09/10/2005. Creative Commons (Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Spain).

JUL 28, 2006 Article

Policy Innovations Digital Magazine (2006-2016): Briefings: Diffusing Censorship: Blogging in Iran

The 1979 Islamic revolution and subsequent takeover of the U.S embassy in Tehran isolated Iran from many countries politically and economically, but government censorship of ...

MAY 1, 2006 Transcript

Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope

Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi discusses Iran's human rights situation, including gender and religious discrimination, and restrictions on freedom of expression. While democracy is incomplete, ...

MAY 1, 2006 Podcast

Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope

Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ebadi discusses Iran's human rights situation, including gender and religious discrimination, and restrictions on freedom of expression. While democracy is incomplete, ...

APR 20, 2006 Podcast

Jere Van Dyk Interviews Philip Jenkins

Professor Philip Jenkins argues that between 1974 and 1980, "there is a shift in political culture, political rhetoric, which is in a generally conservative direction, although sometimes ...